MELBOURNE—A mystery painting held by the National Gallery of Victoria for 43 years is being hailed as the world's only portrait of the infamous, incestuous Italian Renaissance noblewoman Lucrezia Borgia.
After decades of failed attempts to identify the artist and subject, the gallery announced on Tuesday the woman in the portrait is Lucrezia Borgia, captured by famed Renaissance artist Dosso Dossi (circa 1486-1542).
It is believed the work could be the only surviving formal painted portrait of Borgia, the femme fatal portrayed in many novels and films.
Lucrezia Borgia was the illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who served as Pope Alexander VI from 1492 to 1503.
Lucrezia lived a privileged life but her name was tarnished by the deadly political machinations of her family and she married three times for political convenience.
She died after childbirth complications in 1519, aged 39.
Purchased by the gallery in London in 1965, the androgynous Portrait of a Youth was always assumed to be a man, symbolised by the dagger held in the subject's hands.
Gallery paintings conservator Carl Villis, who spent four years meticulously decoding the painting, said its oval shape and a myrtle bush in the background were assumed by some scholars as later additions in an attempt to imitate 16th century paintings.
But direct personal references to Lucrezia in the portrait led him to discover that it was one of only a handful of oval paintings created by Dossi between 1515 and 1520 in the Italian city of Ferrara.
"Because his style is so unusual and because this matches that unusual style we have two or three very convincing reasons to believe that this is by Dosso Dossi," Mr Villis told reporters.
The impact of the painting on the art world was yet to be determined.
"If this is accepted for what we believe it to be then it will highly significant because ... we believe this to be the only formal painted portrait of Lucrezia Borgia."
A portrait medal of Lucrezia in bronze made in 1502 is the only reliable likeness to which the painting can be compared.
Gallery director Gerard Vaughan said he would encourage debate on the identity of the painting.
"We now feel confident we've got to the stage where we can make an announcement about ... what we think about this picture.
"We're not saying every scholar in the world will agree with this conclusion."
Dr Vaughan said the painting would now be worth "many many millions" but would not be valued until insured for travel purposes.
He described the finding as "revelatory".
The Borgia family epitomised ruthless politics and sexual corruption, and historical record portrays Lucrezia as a manipulative woman who participated in incest and sexual orgies with her father and brother.
Murders have also been attributed to her scheming.
The painting will be hung in the gallery from Wednesday, November 26 as part of its permanent international collection.
